Past Reflections
by mysticalflute
Summary: Hook is gone, but the objects he leaves behind are just as valuable. (Anti-Hook/CS)


"Mom, I need to talk to you," Emma said softly as she burst through the door of the familiar apartment. She just hoped her father that wasn't home. It was going to be hard enough talking to her mother about what she found out about Killian and her grandfather, but she couldn't even think about what she was going to say to her father. Not yet. She wanted her mom's help in figuring out how to say everything.

"Emma, hi!" her mother said with a surprised look as she held her younger brother in her arms. "What's the matter? You look like you've been crying…"

Normally, Emma would mentally curse herself for looking so… vulnerable, but she couldn't care right now. There was too much at stake. Too much to say. "Mom…" she croaked. "I have something I need to tell you."

Her mother frowned. "Come sit down. What's the matter?"

"I… I need to show you something," Emma replied, clutching the dream catcher in her hand tight. A memory of Neal tainted. She'd done so much wrong with these damn things that it was hard to remember the good things she and Neal had associated with them.

"What is it?"

"You should… probably put Neal down. I don't want him to see this." Nervous eyes darted around the apartment. Her father wasn't home. Good.

Her mother frowned in alarm as she set the boy down on the ground to play with the toys that were scattered around.

"This was… I found Hook with this earlier today. He was about to burn it. I don't know how he got it out of his head or what since he doesn't have magic but… you need to see this," she sniffled, showing her the dream catcher. Focusing on it, her magic lit it up as she showed her mother the memory of Hook murdering her grandfather. How he begged for his life. To go home to his son David.

"Oh my God. Emma… that's… your grandfather," her mother whispered in horror.

"And Hook," Emma whispered, shaking. "He killed him. I told him that dad would forgive him but – "

"Forgive him? Emma… your father would _never_ forgive Hook for that."

Emma frowned in confusion. "What do you mean? You and dad forgive everything."

"And we shouldn't, Emma. For God's sake, he wanted to kill us in order to get back at you. He wanted to make you an orphan again. And you expect me to forgive him for that after the conversation we had in Neverland? Emma, you should have seen the way your father reacted when he figured out it was George who had given the order to kill him. This is your _grandfather_. Tell me, would you be so willing to forgive Hook if he'd actually succeeded in killing your father? Or me?"

Emma swallowed thickly. Her mother had good points.

"But why would you say you be so supportive of the relationship?" Emma asked weakly. "You seemed so happy when I told you about the engagement."

"Because, Emma, we thought he was changing."

"He is!"

"If he was why wouldn't he tell you about your grandfather the moment he realized who he'd killed? Why didn't he tell your father? Why did he put his memories in a dream catcher? Why was he planning to _burn it_? What else is he keeping from you?"

Emma winced at her mother's angry tone, before hanging her head, dejected. They hadn't really ever had a proper conversation about their pasts. Emma had been too caught up in the fact that Hook had been able to come back after their adventure in the Underworld.

She should have known something was wrong back then. Back when her heart wouldn't go into Hook's chest. She'd assumed it was because Hook was dead but now… now she realized what the truth was.

They weren't True Love.

She looked at herself in the shattered remains of the mirror and inhaled sharply. She was pale, her hair a mess, and there were bags under her eyes that looked like they'd been growing for months. Since the Dark One's curse on her. But that curse was broken. The darkness was out of her. She'd been engaged a couple of hours ago and yet she looked so… terrible. Granted it was because Hook had abandoned her but… still.

"Emma?" her mother asked quietly.

"Mom… what have I done?" she whispered.

"What do you mean sweetheart?"

Emma took a deep breath. "Look at what's happened since I've been with Hook. I turned him into a Dark One and damned you all to hell, then dragged you there in a desperate attempt to find him. Belle somehow got dragged into it and was put under a sleeping curse while pregnant. I nearly died because splitting my heart didn't work, then when we got back Robin nearly died because Hades followed us out and wanted to take over the town. And then when we managed to banish Hades back to the Underworld you and dad and – "

"Emma," her mother said firmly, taking her hands tight in hers. "Look at me. We should have been more honest with you about our opinions involving Hook. We failed you again because we were… encouraging this."

Emma scoffed and shook her head as she looked at her mother with a barely focused face. "You tried to discourage me from going to the Underworld and I didn't listen. It isn't your fault I make dumb decisions. I guess I was just so excited at the thought of having what you and dad have that I lost sight of who I was," she said softly. "Dad was right… I was never really grieving. I never grieved Neal or Walsh before I jumped on Hook."

Snow scooted closer, wrapping her arms around her daughter. "We'll be here to help you grieve," she said softly, rubbing her back. "Now. Do you mind staying here and babysitting your brother while I run an errand?"

She sniffed, smiling slightly as she looked at the boy playing in the play pen. "Of course not."

Her mother smiled and kissed her head gently, grabbing her purse and heading out the door.

She pushed the door to the shop open carefully, smiling at the dark-haired woman behind the counter.

"Hi Belle. How are you feeling today?" she asked, walking up to the counter.

"A bit better. I think the baby's finally starting to settle down after all of the adventure," Belle replied, a bit more color in her cheeks than she'd had the previous day. "Did you need something?"

Snow nodded. "Yeah actually. Hook left Emma and well, I need some help. Is Rumplestiltskin here?"

Belle frowned and turned to the back room with a nod. "I'll go get him."

"Snow. What brings you to my shop?" Rumplestiltskin asked as he followed Belle into the main shop. "It isn't often you come to me for help when the town is at a relative calm state."

"It's a good thing I don't have magic or the town wouldn't be so calm right now," Snow replied. "I know dream catchers can hold memories of the people who wield them… but I was just wondering if other objects can leave traces of memories on them too. Like say… a telescope… or a ring… or something like that."

Rumplestiltskin frowned as he pondered the question. "I've heard that it's possible… but there's no guarantee like for a dream catcher. Why do you ask?"

"Hook. Emma came over and told me he left her because he was the one that killed David's father. I just… wanted to know if there was a way to find out what other lies he may have told her," she explained.

"Ah… I see. Well, I don't know of anything off hand, but I'll certainly look into it for you."

Snow smiled in relief. "What do you want in return? I know how you work."

"For the chance to see everything the pirate did? This is free of charge," the man replied, waving his hand casually. "There's still some time unaccounted for involving my son that I'd like to see."

Snow nodded in understanding. "Stop by the apartment when you've found something. Someone will be home to greet you."

"Thank you. We'll do our best."

Snow nodded. "I know. Thank you both. We'll see you later."

"Oh – Snow?" Rumplestiltskin remarked as she paused at the door.

"Yes?"

"Make sure you have something of Hook's that I can use. I don't suppose Emma brought anything with her when she came over?"

Snow paused. "I don't know. But don't worry, I can always find something."

She did used to be a bandit after all.

One day, Snow knew, she would feel guilty about breaking into her daughter's house in order to find something of the ex that broke her heart, but that day was not going to be today.

"Grandma?" Henry's voice piped up from the sofa as Snow managed to get in the front door. His head popped up from the sofa with a perplexed look. "What are you doing?"

"Oh! Henry! Hi!" she smiled. "I didn't realize you were home or I would have knocked. I'm looking for Hook's things. Do you know if he left anything behind when he left your mother?"

"Uh… to be honest I don't really care if he did or not. Why?"

Snow frowned and took a seat next to Henry. "Because your Grandpa Gold is trying to find a way to see Hook's memories in something other than a dream catcher."

Henry's eyes widened. "Really? We can finally find out about his past? I never really believed everything he said."

Snow nodded. "So what do you say? Help me find something of his?"

Henry didn't need any more convincing than that, immediately leaping up to help her find something that once belonged to Hook. A telescope from his pirate days (did those ever truly end, Snow wondered). In what felt like an instant, they were headed back to the apartment.

"Hook did _what_?!" she heard Charming cry before she'd even finished opening the door.

"What?" Henry asked with a tilt of his head.

"Killed your great-grandfather," Snow replied softly as they stepped into the room.

"But I thought George had?" Henry replied, staring between the adults with confusion, before frowning. "Unless Hook – "

"Yes. Hook killed the guards George sent to kill him," Emma rasped, clutching the dream catcher with a shaking hand. "Dad…"

Charming had managed to sneak toward the closet where he'd decided to keep his sword in case of emergencies, and turned to Emma with a fierce gaze. "Where is that son of a bitch?"

Snow stepped up, alarmed. The last thing she wanted was him to hurt himself. "Charming – Charming… he's already gone. He ran off when the truth came out to Emma. That's why we're here now. And why Rumplestiltskin and Belle will be here later."

"Wait – what? Why are they going to be here?" Emma frowned, looking at her.

Snow straightened her shoulders and looked at Emma. "I asked him to find a way to see someone's memories in something other than a dream catcher."

Emma looked down, shame written on her face "Okay."

The knock came quickly enough in Snow's opinion, and before long, part of their complicated family was gathered around the coffee table in the living room, the telescope squarely in the middle.

"Now… as I said this might not be something that works completely, but it won't hurt to at least try," Rumplestiltskin said, pulling a vial out of his jacket pocket and carefully pouring it over the telescope, which sprang to life immediately, a cloud that reminded Snow of a cartoon thought bubble appearing before them.

"That's Neverland…" Charming murmured.

A teenager, who couldn't have been older than Henry, stepped into view, and Rumplestiltskin stiffened, eyes trained unblinkingly at the cloud. It was then Snow realized just how much Henry looked like Neal. She'd noticed it before, of course, when she'd actually met Neal, but now that Henry was growing older, Snow realized that Neal and Henry could have been twins in another life.

Snow recognized the look on his face – a look of betrayal by someone that was considered a family member or friend, and her heart broke for the boy.

"You know Baelfire, I never did thank you," Hook said.

"Thank me? For what?" Baelfire replied with a frown.

"For reminding me of what I'm all about. Killing your father."

Baelfire began to struggle as Lost Ones climbed on board the ship. "You hated my father so much, you never realized you were just like him!" he yelled as the Lost Ones dragged him overboard, presumably to another boat.

The scene faded after that, but all of them had seen enough, and an uncomfortable silence settled over the room.

It was Henry who eventually broke the tension.

"So… who wants to have a bonfire to get rid of the rest of Hook's junk?"


End file.
